Sylvania



A. PAPlNI. CURRENT REGULATING PLUG AND SOCKET. APPLICATIONJILED AUG- 11, 1919,.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO PAPINI, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG'NOR TO A. MECKY COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

CURRENT-REGULA'IING PLUG AND SOCKET.

Application filed August 11, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANTONIO PAPINI, a subject of the King of Italy, having resided in the United States one year last east and having declared my intention of becoming a citizen thereof, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Current-Regulating Plug and Socket, of which the following is a specification.

My 'nvention relates in general to electric regulators or rheostats, for use in connection with electric circuits designed both for lighting purposes and in connection with medical batteries, dynamos or motors or other devices to which electric current is supplied, and caused to pass through a resistance material such, for instance, as powdered carbon, or a composite resistance material composed of carbon as a conductor and of mineral wool or spun glass both comininuted or reduced to powder and mixed together and then commingled with the carbon, so as to form a more or less elastic material adapted to be compressed to increase its conductivity, or loosened to increase its resistance, in order to increase or diminish the force or strength of the current passed through it, so as to regulate the bril liancy of the light or the potency of the battery or device to which the current is supplied.

Broadly stated, my invention comprehends a novel construction of an electric regulator, the details of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described, and the particular subject-matter which I claim as novel definitely specified in the claims.

More specifically, however, my invention consists of a current regulating device in which the resistance material is acted upon by a piston under the control of an eccentric, which itself is controlled from the exterior of the casing which contains resistance material.

Further, my invention consists of specific means for controlling the movement of the eccentric and of connections between the eccentric and a spring contact within the base of the casing to which the light or other device to be operated upon is con nected.

Further, my invention consists in means for controlling the throw of the eccentric.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Serial No. 316,551.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is present preferred by me, since the same will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously ar anged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a centra, vertical, sectional elevation of a regulator embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the eccentric on the spindle, removed from the regulator.

Fig. 3 represents an end View of a chain wheel which I employ as a substitute for the thumb head represented in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents a modified form of my casing and a special form and application of the resistance material; and

Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary, internal view, looking toward the left of Fig. 1, of a part of the lower portion of the casing, the view being intended to illustrate the radial stop on the spindle.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings l designates a cylindric shell or casing of insulating material, within the hollow interior 2 of which. is contained the resistance material 3, of any preferred character, for instance, a mixture of graphite and mica or other conductor.

4 is a plug of the usual type, of spun metal, which is adapted to fit any lamp socket and which encompasses the upper portion of the shell and is held in place by an insulating cap piece 5, through the center of which passes and is permanently set in place the upper terminal or contact point 6, in alinement below which is the lower contact point 7, which is connected with the piston 8, which numeral is applied to the asbestos packing, which, together with two retaining metal heads 9, constitutes the piston proper.

1O designates the outer casing of an internal socket 11, and the connection of these three devices with the cylindric shell or casing 1, is conveniently effected by fastening screws 13 the heads of which bear against a circular centrally apertured insulating retaining plate 14, and the shanks of which pass through 11, 10 and 12 and terminate in the bottom portion of the casing 1. r

15 designates a spindle, diametrically disposed through the lower part ofthe casing 1 and mounted in bearings 16 in the walls of the casing. 17 designates a thumb-head, fast on the outer end of the spindle 15 and adapted to occasion its oscillation for the purpose of causing through the intervention of an eccentric 18, fast upon a squared length 19 of the spindle, such rotary movement of the eccentric as is desired to raise and lower the piston to compress or release compression upon the resistance material 3, and occasion the approach or recession of the contact points 6 and 7 to or from each other. V

For the purpose of breaking the circuit when the piston is in its lowest position, the eccentric 18 is connected with the lower contact point 7 by a forked head 20, which is essentially a part of said lower contact point, and formed with downwardly extending side lugs or wings 21, through which pass screws 22, the inner ends of which are entered into peripheral, lateral grooves 23 in the side faces of the eccentric.

241 designates insulating side plates attached to the side faces of the eccentric and secured by screws 25, to retain an encompassing insulating ring 26 of the eccentric, within which the peripheral grooves 23 are formed. V

27 designates a coiled spring contact which is disposed between the circular peripheral ring 26 on the eccentric and the base of the hollowed-out shank 29 of the screw 30, which secures a spring contact 31 against the retaining plate 14.

32 designates a conductor leading from the socket 11 to the plug 4:, which, when said plug 1 is fastened into the lamp socket, not illustrated, completes the electric circuit out of said lamp socket and through contact point6, contact point 7, eccentric 18, spring 27, screw 30, spring contact 31, and the lamp or kindred device introduced within the socket 11.

In Fig. 3, I have represented a peripherally grooved chain wheel 35 adapted to be substituted for the thumb nut 17 on the spindle 15, so that such movement of the spindle as is desired to effect the throw of the eccentric may beaccomplished by a depending chain, not illustrated, but of any usual type. V

In Fig. l, I have illustrated the 'cylindric shell or casing 1 as containing within its hollow interior a plurality of centrally apertured disks 36, formed of any preferred re- 'sistance material, the configuration and arrangement of which is such that the contact points 6 and 7 are located within the apertures of the disks and in alinement with each other.

In order to control the rotary movement f the spindle 15 to limit the return of the stroke, I connect with the spindle a radially extending finger stop 33, adapted to encounter a stop pin 34: which extends into the interior of the lower portion of the casing 1. The end of the forward stroke is, of course, determined by the meeting of the contact points 6 and 7 which prevent the further advance of the piston.

It willnow be apparent that I have de vised a novel and useful current regulating plug and socket which embodies the features of advantage eniunerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described typical embodiments thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that these embodiments are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character stated, a

receptaclecontaining a resistance material and a compressing device for varying the pressure upon said material, said device embodying a piston, a piston rod, an eccentric, a coiled spring below the eccentric, and a spring contact, and also means for controlling the movement of the eccentric.

2. In a devic'e'of the character stated, .a receptacle containing a fixed and a movable contact point, a resistance material and a compressing device for varying the pressure upon said material, said device embodying a piston, a piston rod, an eccentric, a coiled spring below the eccentric, and a spring contact, and also means for controlling the movement of the eccentric.

3. In a device of the character stated, a

spindle upon which the eccentric ismounted and which is operated from the exterior of the regulator for controlling the movement of the eccentric.

I ANTONIO PAPINI. Witnesses: JOHN A. lVIEDERSI-IEIM, N. BUSSINGER. 

